As demand for eco-friendly travel grows, more resorts are responding with initiatives like recycling and sustainable dining options, but Iberostar takes it even further. With most of its hotels located on beachfronts, the leading hotel chain strengthened its commitment to developing a responsible tourism model by making an ambitious pledge to a key resource shared by everyone on the planet: the ocean. By focusing on preserving the seas and coastline, Iberostar launched a roadmap for greener travel and ensuring that the world can enjoy this irreplaceable treasure for generations to come.
In 2018, Iberostar continued its commitment to sustainability, part of the brand’s core values since it was founded, with its pioneering Wave of Change program, which aims to protect the oceans and lead with responsible tourism. In its most recent report, the company announced that its operations will be carbon neutral and all ecosystems that surround its properties will improve in ecological health alongside profitable tourism by 2030. Here are some of the most impressive ways Iberostar is creating an industry-wide shift.
Planting coral
The Coral Lab at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites
Courtesy of Iberostar
Much like rainforests, coral reefs are the lungs of the ocean, taking carbon dioxide up from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen back into it. They also protect the shoreline from erosion and are believed to have some of the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet. To save these vital colonies from the impacts of climate change and tissue diseases, Iberostar’s Wave of Change Science and Coastal Health teams are working to identify the species that are least vulnerable, creating coral nurseries and restoring reefs in areas at the highest risk of impact in destinations like the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In Jamaica, a new nursery site will contain an estimated 10,000 elkhorn coral fragments.
Serving sustainable seafood
Overfishing threatens the world’s oceans, making the responsible sourcing of seafood more important than ever. While Iberostar has outlined a strategy for working toward 100-percent responsible seafood consumption by 2025, it has already made impressive strides: 78 percent of the seafood served at its resorts is responsibly caught, including all its properties in Mexico, so guests have even more to savor when they dine at Iberostar properties.
To be considered responsible, seafood must meet benchmarks that benefit communities as well as economies and the environment. For example, fisheries and farms are all recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative and support safe working practices and communities by providing independent fisheries with direct income and training them to continue practicing eco-friendly fishing methods.
Investing in blue carbon
The Coral Nursery at Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo
Courtesy of Iberostar
To achieve their goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030, Iberostar is decarbonizing its operations and supply chain by electrifying current applications of fossil fuels, reducing business travel by 40 percent, and more. And, to help offset the remaining amount, Iberostar will invest in nature-based solutions that ensure the sustainable management of ecosystems while providing economic benefits to local communities. In one pilot program in the Dominican Republic, Iberostar’s Coastal Health team studied the ability of red mangroves to remove nitrates and phosphates from the water as an approach to carbon sequestration.
Reducing waste
In 2020, Iberostar became the first hotel chain to no longer stock single-use plastics in their hotel rooms, eliminating 420 tons of plastic waste annually. But the brand isn’t stopping there; it’s also working toward becoming entirely waste-free by 2025. In fact, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill turned out to be one of Iberostar’s most successful projects in 2022, thanks in part to the consolidation of waste management systems, composting, and the use of an AI-enabled food waste–tracking system powered by Winnow Vision. (The partnership with Winnow saved over 533,000 meals and 213 tons of food waste alone). With food currently accounting for 14 percent of Iberostar’s total environmental impact, the potential benefits are huge.
Restoring sand dunes
Sand dunes are essential when it comes to the health of the seascape, protecting coastlines from erosion, flooding, and hurricanes. However, environmental changes, construction, and the introduction of invasive species threaten these ecosystems around the world. In Mexico, where sand dunes cover nearly 2 million acres, Iberostar started a restoration project in Cozumel, Paraiso, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun that includes monitoring the beaches and reforesting the coastline with grasses, shrubs, and other plants to provide critical stability.
